


Together We Are - Red Lotus Relationship Week Stories

by FelicityKitten



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Depression, Multi, Past Abuse, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, emetophobia warning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-22
Updated: 2016-09-02
Packaged: 2018-08-10 10:51:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,335
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7841860
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FelicityKitten/pseuds/FelicityKitten
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Title is a reference to a song by Arty and Chris James</p><p>In case you didn't know, Red Lotus Relationship Week is on from August 22th 2016. Here are my contributions, some of them will probably be late. Let's see how it goes.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Day 01 - First

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 01 - First Meeting, Ming-Hua and Ghazan  
> (could also fit under Night Out, so I'll probably do something different for Day 02)
> 
> Warning for blood (in my opinion nothing too graphic, but it's fair to let you know), rape implication, and some swearing.

_**First Meeting: Ming-Hua and Ghazan** _

 

Once the city came to their view after long hours spent on their feet, Ghazan, despite his fatigue, couldn’t feel more alive at the prospect of finally being around people. Preferably folks who didn’t quote ancient gurus in every second sentence. Zaheer apparently had an endless supply of those.. As far as Ghazan was concerned, their luck must have been pretty rotten, otherwise they could find a better use of time than isolate themselves from the rest of the world to seek enlightenment until they got too old to have a choice to care about anything else.

He used to think his friend - as annoying as he tended to be, a friend nonetheless - would never, ever, under any circumstances manage to actually get some action, so he might as well try and extend the lines of asketic hermits. That was, of course, before P’Li came along.

Ghazan really enjoyed spending time with her, no kidding. After her initial distrust melted away - not that he could blame her, really - she proved to be an excellent company. Even though she needed her peace and alone time, her dry sense of humour went well with his laidback sarcasm, she rarely got mad at him - an if she did, she usually told him in a straightforward, no-nonsense way - and later, when she grew to accept her combustionbending, they learned to work well together during countless spars. He chose to specialize in close and middle range attacks - mostly his regular earthbending since he hadn’t quite fully grasped the behaviour of lava - to leave space for her excellent aim to shine. Her sharp eyesight, regardless of distance, never ceased to impress him.

Alas, each great thing had a downside. He knew five months before both of them put pieces of the puzzle together and realized what was as clear as a day to him, and actually made a move. It happened somewhat mutually and quickly moved from awkward stages to a full-blown romantic relationship, with an amount of sappiness and PDA Ghazan would make officially illegal, if he could. He, of all people, became a dreaded third wheel. Not that he was a narcissist or anything, but considering how he turned heads of both female and male population whenever he walked through a crowd with a sleeveless attire (shirtless had a similar effect, obviously much stronger), he concluded that whatever higher power there was - Spirits or whatever - hated his guts with passion to bestow this fate upon him. Probably out of pure jealousy, let’s be real.

To not sound like a complete and utter asshole, he wished P’Li - and Zaheer as well, fine - all the happiness in the world. But there was a limit even a guy like him could take. Once he got a look around the city, it wouldn’t take much longer for him to get some and his problem would be temporarily solved. What more to ask for? He wasn’t one for attachment, anyway.

Just as soon as they arrived at their inn - P’Li, even with her forehead tattoo covered, attracted many stares - Ghazan decided there wasn’t a chance of a snowball near his lava he would be spending the night here. Okay, they had separate rooms, one with two joined beds, one much smaller left for him, but with the thinnest walls he ever had the misfortune to see. Better go out, get tipsy and either pick up someone hot, or get drunk enough to not be able to perceive the noises of sex coming from those two. They liked to think of themselves as subtle, but in his own humble opinion, the entire inn would be up all night.

 

\---

 

The first somewhat decent bar he discovered broke out in a fight he had no intention of participating in, so Ghazan decided to move along and see what the rest of the city had to offer. Drinks he had consumed caused his vision to go slightly blurry and walking uneven, but he wasn’t even half as affected as he needed to be to return to the inn. Maybe he should play easy and pretend to accidentally pour something over his shirt as the cheapest excuse in existence to take it off. That should raise enough interest to grant him a warm place to sleep, not to mention the relief of his pent-up tension from listening to those two going at it at the very least two nights a week.

Settled with his plans - he usually preferred to start a conversation to see if sparks worked just right and only then go for it, but desperate times call for desperate measures - he was brought to reality by subdued, agressive murmurs from a darkened alley nearby. It wasn’t uncommon for people to get dragged there and lose anything precious they had on them.

“Don’t even move, or I’ll try out how sharp this knife is!”

Curiosity getting the better of him, he walked few steps closer and took a short peek to see what the fuss was about. Three muscular, but smelly-looking men surrounded a petite figure. He didn’t look long enough to make out their features, but just assumed they picked an easy victim. That’s how it usually went down.

No one was focused on him, so he decided to keep on observing. Just stay inconspicuous.

“Oh lookie here,” another voice, this time mincing and malicious. “You can’t even fight back,” the man flinged the victim’s long sleeve, a mocking grimace on his face.

“We really got lucky today,” the third man sounded spluttery, as if he was about to break out into phlegmy cough. “She’s h-armless!”

All three roared into laughter and Ghazan evaluated them as the worst of scum. He still couldn’t see properly, but the woman they were encircling was wearing a shabby, faded brown attire, so she couldn’t have been a choice for robbery. So the only intent they could have in mind, as soon as he figured it out, made his fists clench and blood boil. He was far from a spotless, righteous protector of all injustice, fully aware he could be so easily in their place - that’s what poverty and oppression twisted people into - but as soon as they laid a finger on her, he’d step in, and wouldn’t hold himself back at all.

“Listen up, boys,” she must have spoken, her voice deep and kind of raspy for a woman, “no one needs to get hurt here. I’ll give you one chance to back off.” Ghazan was suprised by her attitude. Those three didn’t look too experienced, but were still armed enough to seriously hurt, if not kill her.

Catching a glance in a half-drained puddle sprawled on the ground next to the alley entrance, he finally spotted her face. Light brown skin, prominent cheekbones framed with sleek, shiny black hair and head upright in a silent challenge, she definitely had enough appeal to catch attention. Her petite form and solitude probably made her an easy target in eyes of these fuckers.

For a while, they were stunned into silence, then one of them growled back: “Snotty bitch! We’ll show you how to taunt us!”

Okay, an ideal time for him to save her. He liked her spirit, even though she picked the worst of timing to display it.

He didn’t even notice when the puddle stopped showing her reflection, evaporated and dry in a second. A shiny flash, then from another side, and the man that managed to creep the closest to her dropped his knife to the ground and, eyes widened, gripped at his now massively bleeding neck. It didn’t take long until his knees gave out and he fell to the ground until last traces of life leaked from his body along with the red liquid.

The woman - Ghazan didn’t care about openly leaning his head in and staring anymore - raised her eyebrow to the rest of the gang, as if daring them to proceed.

“Y-you!” shouted the phlegmy one, the first one to shake off the shock. “You killed Chun! You’ll pay for this!” he threw himself at her with a frantic holler, then a shimmer so quick Ghazan almost wasn’t sure he saw it, and the man ended up like the first one, dark blood gushing from a wound on his throat. His eyes darted to his last remaining mate, red bubbles in his mouth as he wheezed out: “Help… save…” then lost even the strength to finish his plea and fell right in front of him. The last man, face deadly white in horror, eyes blown wide and his entire body trembling, seemed to lose all control over himself.

As the woman’s narrow eyes turned to him, finally he remembered how to move and tripped over his feet trying to get away. The woman appeared to have no intention of finishing him off, just watched him wordlessly, then finally paid attention to the new presence.

Ghazan never noticed when he got closer, but assumed it must have been during the second murder. He saw death many times, so it hardly presented a problem for him to withstand the sight, but the way it happened made it especially impossible to look away. He had no clue how, but was sure as much as those men, this woman they fatally underestimated was responsible.

Her dark eyes stabbed into his. “Are you one of them?” a sharp question to determine his life.

“Uhh, no. I was actually about to interfere and stop them myself, before… well,” no more words were needed to describe what happened. They both saw, after all.

“How galant,” she commented humorlessly, dry smirk pulling at her lips. “Unless you plan to cause me more trouble, leave.”

“On my way,” he definitely didn’t want to play with her. “Just… how did you do that?”

“Kill them? Slitting carotid arteries is traditonally considered one of the quickest, most efficient ways to do the job,” she answered, turning from him to go her way, as if the matter was already closed to her.

If he wasn’t terrified, he would actually be impressed by her snark, rivalling his own. Oh no, she really was leaving. No, his curiosity far suppressed his common sense and in three steps, he was close enough to try and stop her.

“Wait,” he moved to catch her wrist hidden inside the long sleeve - but grasped only empty fabric. What the-

She was in his face immediately and Ghazan felt thankful a glare couldn’t kill. The least he expected was a sound slap on his face, or a punch, but all he received was cool, almost icy pressure on his pulse point. Even though she was a good head shorter than him, she managed to make him feel tiny.

Then, it clicked. The strange way one of the men shouted “harmless”, the flick of her sleeve. She didn’t have any arms.

“Oh Spirits,” he whispered in a superstitious manner, not like him at all. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know.” Before he had a chance to earthbend, she would have him dead. Better not provoke her.

“You’re way too nosy for my liking,” she snarled, but didn’t push her - what he belatedly realized was - water any further into his skin. “What do I gain from keeping an inconvenient witness alive? I already have enough trouble to escape the jail.”

“I know the feeling,” he chuckled. Risky, but he couldn’t help himself. “The last time was pretty bad, but someone busted me out. Little did I know we’d become friends for life,” so what if he was rambling? Threatening her is useless, so he might as well try and turn on the charm.

“How touching,” her reply was sour, but he clearly took note of corners of her mouth twitching. Under different circumstances, he wouldn’t mind having her this close. No. Upstairs brain, or death.

“You don’t even know,” he continues in all seriousness. “That’s for a long talk. Preferably over a drink. You can join me as we have so much in common already,” what more could he mess up by flashing a grin? Maybe she could take pity on his handsome face.

To his surprise, she stepped back and he finally took a deep breath without the fear of his throat protruding too much.

“You’re too much of a goof for your own good,” she muttered, but in better nature than anything she had told him before.

“I hear that often. More like, too attractive, but whatever,” he started rubbing the skin around his Adam’s apple to make sure she didn’t injure him. It was difficult for him to recognize whether the wetness consisted of just the remains of her deadly waterbending or his own blood as well. Since when it was possible to bend without arms? the question bugged and itched in his mind, but he kept his mouth shut about it.

“You know what they say about the sum of beauty and brains being a finite number? You make it hard to prove them wrong,” she stepped out of the darkness to a regular street.

“Whoever spouts such shit clearly hasn’t met you yet,” he smirked, following her. Smooth as ever.

“Idiot,” she shook her head, but he didn’t fail to notice the ghost of a smile she was trying her best to hide.

“Name’s Ghazan, actually. And yours?” he went on in upbeat tone, as if she wasn’t close to killing him moments ago.

“Ming-Hua.”

“Nice to meet you, Ming-Hua. And by that I mean an absolute delight, be sure of it,” if being silly and talkative worked, he didn’t find anything wrong with keeping up.

“Do you ever shut up?” she glared again, but it lacked the deadliness from before.

“I talk even in my sleep, as I’ve been told,” he watched in satisfaction as she rolled her eyes.

“I’m starting to regret my decision to keep you alive.”

“That brings me back to one of questions I wanted to ask. How can you do that?” for a while, he decided to drop the merry act, because the matter honestly baffled him to no end.

“Do what?” she played oblivious.

“Bend. Water,” he added a bit late. The ideal order would be reversed, but close enough.

“A woman born without arms isn’t completely helpless and reliant on others and is actually able to bend? Unheard of, I know,” her words, on the outside just biting sarcasm, hinted at something deeper.

“I guess people didn’t use to give you the time of day,” he commented.

“Now what in the world would make you say that?” she was just that stubborn to keep on making their conversation a snark contest, didn’t she? He liked her already.

 

\---

 

In the end, the night went by in a way he would previously considered completely worthless. Even when they found a bar, Ming-Hua didn’t order a drink, because if she drank it in her specific way, it would attract too much attention. Or so she said.

She appeared to be even a tougher nut to crack that P’Li was, but Ghazan enjoyed their time together anyway. She didn’t shy away from any topic, but kept her distance clearly, and except for ruthlessly killing two men - or who knew how many more? - she didn’t show any signs of being unstable or too violent. No, just like her bending, her self-control was honed to perfection. All the more reasons to try and convince her of what first briefly struck his mind after he realized the extent of her bending abilities - to join them.

She refused, how he expected. She could take care of herself on her own and didn’t need other people at all. His arguments, as he drank more and more, also probably stopped to make sense. He understood a simple no and moved on.

 _What a pity I didn’t even find out more about how feisty she can be. All there is left are fantasies_ , belonged to the last of his conscious thoughts he actually remembered. After that, nothing...

Obviously, that didn’t end up being her final decision. Ming-Hua never told him what did it, even refused to repeat anything his inebriated brain managed to produce in that shameful half hour between him still remembering anything and leaving the bar, always just closed the topic with a half-smile and stressed he would never find out. One way or another, Ghazan counted that night as one of best things that ever came out of getting wasted.


	2. Day 02 - Spar

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 02 - Spar, Ming-Hua and P'Li
> 
> Contains implied Mingzan, more-than-that Ming'Li (I am still chickening out of smut, though). Heavily inspired by Relmarrowny's headcanons, but not just that, obviously. I officially declare myself a poly Red Lotus supporter (I can't bring myself to ship Zaheer with anyone else than P'Li, though, anything else is to varying degree fine by me).

**_Spar: Ming-Hua and P’Li_ **

  


Ming-Hua was putting her best effort into ignoring the familiar restlessness simmering in each cell of her body. She could hardly sit still with the upcoming full moon pushing and pulling her like the ocean, the call sweet and excruciating at the same time. She had been uneasy for two days and didn’t have an idea how to make the time go faster until the twilight. This day of the month always affected her on a deeper level than most of waterbenders she knew, though she didn’t have a clue why.

“You are bound to your element on a more intimate level than people who don’t have to rely on it to function normally each day,” Zaheer offered his uncalled-for opinion once, but Ming-Hua felt like it was way too simplifying.

“Tell me now, who doesn’t depend on water in the end of the day?” she shot down his explanation in annoyance and never mentioned it again.

One way or another, it wouldn’t make her problem go away, even if she knew its cause. Ming-Hua usually spent the whole night awake, most of time in two possible ways. A spar with one of her teammates usually helped plenty to release her overload of wild energy, but none of them offered her the courtesy eagerly, since she utterly wrecked them each time. Zaheer never spoke a word the next day, only sat quietly while she healed his wounds, Ghazan took it with humour, but she never shook off the suspicion he got a bit too suggestive, and P’Li just called her a show-off, like always, with that amused glint in her sharp amber eyes reserved just for her.

Moon didn’t raise her appetite for just fighting, though. Dealing with her libido skyrocketing, Ming-Hua enjoyed even more, though obviously it wasn’t specific for just full moons. It involved visiting the nearest city in late hours and find someone to help her out. Ming-Hua had no preference for men or women, but men often couldn’t get past her lack of arms. Women, on the other hand, especially a bit older and eager to try something new, never hesitated too long. In the span of three or so years and her twenties just starting, Ming-Hua had an impressive record of sexual experiences and a solid picture of what she liked and needed in bed, usually built around her partner letting her take the lead and get creative.

The most important thing for her was comfort. If things got awkward and didn’t seem to get better anytime soon or her gut instinct didn’t feel right, she stopped, not caring how far she had gotten with the person up until that point, and left. She learned to be wary of anyone who looked too fascinated with her lack of arms or expected her to take on a submissive role. After all she had to go through to “earn” the basic respect of people around - even then first preceded by pitiful or uncomfortable glances - the last thing she would enjoy was someone humilliating or mistreating her under the pretense of roleplay.

It’s been a while since she had an opportunity for anything of that sort, though, since lately they had been moving mostly through rural or forest areas. As if universe decided to taunt her even more, full moon this month was rumored to be the brightest and strongest in long years to come.

Technically, Ming-Hua could go for the easiest option. Ghazan, though always mindful of not crossing a line, never shied away from occasional innuendos and once even straight up asked her if she would be up for a bit of fun. Always picked the time where she was in the mood, that bastard, so that no took its sweet time to leave her mouth. Ghazan, however, in spite of all his bravado, wouldn’t be able to see it as a one time thing only, and Ming-Hua was way too stubborn to belong to anyone, or risk getting too attached. Life taught her, the lessons more cruel and refined as time passed, that people and their affection presented an unstable, volatile thing which would only serve to tear her apart more than she already was.

“This is getting out of your hands, Ming-Hua,” an unmistakable, smooth as honey voice caressed her ears. Ming-Hua became aware of a shadow descending on pages of book she had been trying to read since the lunch. Trying being the key word, though.

“What did I do this time?” she ignored the pun and didn’t even raise her head from her reading, her scattered thoughts making concentration on the text impossible, so she had been probably staring at the same line for minutes.

Large, warm hands with spotless manicure lifted her face gently from both sides, making her look above. The content of the bottle and glass was whirling in the air in jumbled manner. She must have been fidgeting badly, since her waterbending consisted of a psychic apsect as well as movements of her spine, but once she noticed and her mind went “oh”, it all came splashing down on the table where she was resting her legs.

“Thanks a lot. I wanted to have a drink,”one corner of P’Li’s mouth twitched in her characteristic fashion, as always when she was annoyed. P’Li didn’t belong to one of most expressive or easy to read people, but Ming-Hua knew what to look for. Probably because she had been watching her closely for quite some time, but she didn’t want to think about it now of all times.

“Don’t want to be awake for tonight?” Ming-Hua teased, but wouldn’t take offense even if that happened to be the case.

“Actually, I thought about helping you out,” she spoke, her eyes lighting up with something Ming-Hua couldn’t recognize. “One for courage wouldn’t hurt,” her glance shifted briefly to now empty bottle.

Did she actually just- no, no way, she meant a spar, what else? Ghazan appeared to be an expert of picking up on signals of her excitement she wasn’t even aware of, but P’Li couldn’t know of that other effect the moon had on her, or the quickly developing crush Ming-Hua had on her, could she? Even then, she was clearly in love with Zaheer, so why would she talk about anything else than sparring?

Reasonable thoughts didn’t stop her heartbeat from quickening, sending a rush of blood into her cheeks.

“Your bending isn’t nearly half as powerful to last against me during the night. It would be way too imbalanced.” For real, Ming-Hua had seen it herself before. Hawk-like eyesight and quick reflexes often ended up being the only advantage for P’Li in a match where Ming-Hua clearly had an upperhand.

“That’s exactly why I’m going to do it,” P’Li replied, leaning closer to Ming-Hua’s level. “I need to be more ready for times where my power isn’t at its prime. It could be a dealbreaker in the future.”

Ming-Hua allowed herself some unabashed staring at her face. One shorter strand of hair loosened from her braid, now hanging close to her left eye. Ming-Hua regretted and was thankful at the same time for not having enough water to form her arms and push it behind her ear.  _ She’s so beautiful, _ was racing through Ming-Hua’s mind, but other than that, her face didn’t give away any clues Ming-Hua was searching for.

A simple shrug would do for an answer. “Fine by me, then. If you’re up to it.”

P’Li didn’t say anything, but her lips turned upwards, making her expression soft and gentle for a brief moment. P’Li smiled rarely, but it suited her perfectly. Ming-Hua felt her stomach flutter. Just great. Maybe starting early, or at least going for a walk wasn’t out of question, because no book could prove to be enough of a distraction at a time like this.

  


\---

  


P’Li came earlier than she expected, about a half hour left until sunset. Ming-Hua already went through most of her routine, basic and advanced. Her creativity knew no bounds, so talking about any kind of regularity didn’t quite fit. She decided to try some of frowned upon techniques, such as sucking water out of plants. This required a special level of concentration for her, since she had to focus on maintaining her water arms while pulling at the water inside, breaking apart each cell structure of the plant, but tonight, nothing felt impossible. Trees could be of use later as a good swinging point, so she decided to wait before practicing the move more. As deep down every waterbender, Ming-Hua was tempted by bloodbending, but decided against it. P’Li had been through her own fair share of abuse and manipulation against her will, so any experiments with her of all people were absolutely out of question.

“You’re barely holding it together, aren’t you?” P’Li called, but even from more than ten metres of distance between them, Ming-Hua just couldn’t miss her light chuckle.

“I just hope you know what you’ve gotten into,” Ming-Hua smirked.

“Of course. It was my idea, after all,” she replied.

Ming-Hua lunged without warning, the end of her tendril freezing as she latched it around the nearest tree trunk, and she spun herself, her second water arm reaching for P’Li. She did a  flip to side and as soon as her feet connected with the ground again, a blast - smaller than her day standard, but still powerful enough - turned Ming-Hua’s tree to ashes.

Instead of repeating the process with another one, Ming-Hua used her arms to launch herself into the air, then froze all her water into an ice drill and directed it close to the firebender, letting it smash against the ground and melt again. P’Li couldn’t use her combustionbending for such a short distance, so Ming-Hua gained an advantage, as long as she kept close.

Of course P’Li knew that, so her a bit predictable move, was a circular motion of her arms, resulting in a shot of defensive firebending in Ming-Hua’s direction and then she started moving backwards in swift leaps. Ming-Hua wouldn’t have any of it.

She grasped at at another tree, its bark shattering in loud, violent cracks as she drained it completely. Ming-Hua then threw her prolonged arm at P’Li, turning the end into a scythe-like shape as it shot through the air. She managed to catch the firebender’s ankle, but P’Li severed her water with a quick burst of fire from her fists, then released another combustion blast. Ming-Hua was, for a second, pushed into defense, and summoned all her water to create an ice shield. Most of it evaporated after the contact with the enormous heat from the explosion, but she preserved enough to keep both her arms, though shorter than usual.

P’Li had the gall to look smug. “Once in a lifetime event like this, and this is all you can pull off, Ming-Hua?”

As if to twist her words into a wonderful irony, the entire clearing and the surrounding forest were suddenly bathed in a silvery light as the moon, rising above the horizon, finally showed itself in full beauty.

Ming-Hua’s vision went blurry with the surge of new power awakening within her, rising like tides, and as her tendrils slowly ascended from her sides, so did tiny droplets of water drawn from the air, grass and leaves of trees closest to her..

“You were saying?” she smiled in a way she was told multiple times made her look somewhat shy, yet no less lethal.

Hundreds, maybe thousands of ice needles and daggers flew in rapid speed P’Li’s way. They covered such a large area she wouldn’t avoid all of them in time, but an attack with the potential to seriously harm her would put an end to their spar quickly. For Ming-Hua, the real fun was just beginning.

P’Li crossed her arms and bowed her head behind them to shield herself, squeezing her eyes shut as the wave was about to hit. Ming-Hua could barely contain her satisfaction.

Once she opened them and looked around in confusion, it was too late to avoid a figure flying towards her. Wrapped inside the milky mist, Ming-Hua doubted P’Li could see anything farther away than her own hand.

She knocked the firebender down, rolling on top of her, and pushed an ice blade to her visibly pulsing skin at the front of her neck. Now so close to her, Ming-Hua became acutely aware of each drop of blood flowing through the other girl’s body, of warmth radiating off her skin, and the way few unruly strands of her hair stuck to sides of her face because of all the dampness in the air.

“That was a good move,” P’Li panted, her chest rising and falling in shallow breaths. Her heart was racing, probably caused by all the adrenaline.

“Now you’re praising?” Ming-Hua leaned closer, so P’Li could see her vicious smile better.

“Why wouldn’t I? You won,” she mumbled, eyes half-lidded, her palm brushing up Ming-Hua’s knee… wait, what? Gentle touch of her hand served to completely throw Ming-Hua off. Her control lost for a second, mist fell back on them like cold shower. More than appropriate, considering the situation.

Ming-Hua was about to stand up - or jump up, her skin burning everywhere in contact with P’Li’s body, when a hand fisted in her shirt and ruined her plan, holding her firmly in place.

P’Li sat up slowly, effectively eliminating whatever space there had been left between them, making it more difficult for Ming-Hua to ignore the heat pooling in her lower abdomen.

“Don’t,” P’Li murmured, her breath hot on Ming-Hua’s face. Closing the remaining gap between them would be ridiculously easy. So why was she wavering?

“You love Zaheer,” Ming-Hua reminded, her thoughts cooling down a few degrees. “Don’t deny it, I know. He might take forever to pull his head out of his ass and notice, but that doesn’t change how you feel,” she continued rambling, because as much as she wanted to give in, it terrified her like she hadn’t been in ages.

“What does he have to do with this?” she asked, genuine surprise in her eyes. “Why should it mean I can’t care about you, too? Don’t-” she faltered, her intense gaze dropping, “don’t you want this?” she finished her question in unsure, sheepish tone, her confidence dropping back to times where she was a slouching, lanky girl squinting her eyes because the world was too bright and her new freedom frightened her.

They were both scared, Ming-Hua realized, and didn’t feel like resisting anymore. As P’Li said, she won, the spar ended and keeping up a fight was pointless.

“Yes,” she asnwered, her face slowly leaning closer to the other girl’s. She never had the opportunity to see her from upper level and the change of perspective delighted her like she would never expect. “I do.”

She had no idea who moved in first. A hesitant touch of lips didn’t last long. They both ached for more. The kiss quickly turned into an all-consuming outburst of need, oxygen forgotten and overrated compared to the warmth and intoxicating, bittersweet taste of P’Li’s mouth. Her senses heightened to almost a painful degree, Ming-Hua was too far gone to return. Her water froze into a claw-like hand, weaving into the other girl’s hair as she kept on kissing her desperately, but inside, Ming-Hua felt like she was melting. Any thought of how much she really got affected by the moon and what was a result of something else entirely slowly got drowned out in passion as she clung closer to P’Li like her life depended on it, and for just this once, let herself lose control and surrender.

  


\---

  


She didn’t do anything wrong, Ming-Hua assured her later. It was just a one time thing provoked by the heat of their spar and the full moon. She never was for any sort of regular, Spirits forbid exclusive thing. P’Li seemed to understand, but looked saddened nevertheless. How ironic. Ming-Hua guarded herself so carefully around Ghazan that she forgot about anyone else. She refused to acknowledge it, to call her feelings by their true name instead of “momentary fascination” she preferred to use even in mind, even as she felt hersher drifting apart from everyone in their small circle. Even when the sight of P’Li finding happiness she herself apparently wasn’t destined for hurt at the deepest core of her being. Ming-Hua had thought she was saving them both from pain, that it was better to let go before P’Li could realize she didn’t really want her and loved Zaheer only, but for her, it was still torture.

Time in her cell went by slowly, so Ming-Hua often allowed herself to relieve that night in memories. She loved watching P’Li come undone at cool touches of her water fingers all over her body, preserving each expression of ecstasy, each drawled out sigh of her own name from the firebender's lips, in her mind, and letting P’Li see her in return, as vulnerable and exposed - in both literal and metaphorical sense - as just few people ever did.

Ghazan didn’t ask what happened to cause a rift between her and P’Li after the two of them grew so close, but stood by her side as a source of unconditional support. For some reason, he completely stopped with innuendos and any kind of inappropriate jokes. His presence undoubtedly provided a healing factor, but she was reluctant to make that one final step he apparently gave her all control over. Was it even worth it, if each time she started to care, everything got snatched away from her all over again? There was only so much she could take before her armor of invulnerability and coldness broke apart, leaving her to suffer endlessly for everyone to see.

If she knew being cooked alive until her body withered and gave up on her spirit was the fate she was trying so hard to save herself for, Ming-Hua wouldn’t be so adamant. Now, she didn’t have a luxury of choice anymore. Ghazan and P’Li, neither of them would ever know the truth she kept hiding so carefully - she lost the fight, and fell in love. And damn, in the end, she shouldn’t have allowed her fear stop the freefall, and let herself crash and burn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reading some people's meta on tumblr and after a rewatch or two (hundred and eleven, make no mistake :D ), some things really stood out. Ming-Hua first addresses to P'Li as "that girlfriend of yours", P'Li seems surprised when Ming-Hua is the one busting her out, and Ming-Hua's "Let's get you out of here." feels kind of brusque. What does that mean exactly, we may never find out.
> 
> My favorite guess is that something went awry during the first time Red Lotus tried to kidnap Korra, and P'Li was largely at fault. I might get to that later, but I added some unresolved matters of an entirely different kind into the picture, as you just read. First, it resembled some kind of love triangle, but after LOK, I think everyone, including me, grew sick of them. In my view, it makes sense for Ming-Hua to be afraid of getting hurt, putting up a facade to protect herself and avoiding any chance to have a deeper relationship than flings when she's in the mood for some action. All those years in the prison, I refuse to think she didn't regret not going for it when she could.


	3. Day 03 - Reunion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 03 - Reunion, Ming-Hua and Ghazan  
> (might be Elements as well, but I'll see how succesfully I'm able to get my shit together and write something more specific for another day)
> 
> Some swearing, hints at depression and prison abuse. No, even after two years, I still can't go there.

Reunion: Ming-Hua and Ghazan

 

Ghazan couldn’t suppress a rush of excitement as he felt his element, even in molten form, everywhere around. Out of all maddening aspects of his own imprisonment - exposure to the weather all the time, sea sickness during bad storms, sometimes bad cases of sunburn - not being able to feel earth anywhere in his reach, as if he just got stuck in the middle of endless sea, must have messed with him the most. He even refused to travel without a lump of earth close to him, an amount to be actually useful just in case. Uncomfortable, but feeling it pushing into his skin during each step he took meant an inconvenience he wouldn’t mind putting up with for the rest of his life.

Obviously, his good mood wasn’t caused by just the place. However, as his forehead broke in sweat and he, an actual lavabender, started to think of the temperature as too much, other thoughts prevailed. Would she be alright? Just like him, they had to keep her away from even the tiniest amount of her element, but technically speaking, Ghazan at least didn’t need earth to survive. Water, though, was her very essence, means how to put up with the world so eager to push her down, see her fall and break. He didn’t even want to imagine what kind of torture it had been for Ming-Hua…

A strong gush of wind split the barrel in half, its content now hurling in between the grating on top of the cell hanging directly above the lava pit. In seconds, door broke open and a tiny figure climbed upwards in her trademark fashion. One brief glance at her face was enough to awaken an urge to raise the lava bubbling under his feet and bury every White Lotus guard in it. What they did couldn’t be countered with revenge brutal enough… and here he thought how awful had his own prison been.

At least thirteen years din’t seem to hold an effect on her bending abilities, as always an extraordinary spectacle to watch. She was swinging, freezing water with ease even in unbearable heat, and his murderous intent got at least a bit satisfaction when he saw her smashing the sentries into the walls, letting them die in molten rock.

Now she turned to face them. Up from this close, the sight spared no details. Her hollowed out cheeks, skin covered in a layer of ashes, sunk eyes and no amount of fat beneath her dry, paper-thin skin not only enraged him, but frightened him to think of the possibility of being late even a day, or several hours. What could this deprived shell of a human being have in common with the flirty, snarky girl barely beginning her twenties he remembered? It wasn’t because of physical changes, though they bordered on the edge of what human body should be strong enough to take, but something else words could hardly do justice. Even though he himself wasn’t spared, he couldn’t stop the disbelief from growing.

“I never thought I’d be so happy to see your ugly mugs again,” she was smirking and her dark eyes came alive with old spark, so characteristic for her.

“Great to see you, too, Ming-Hua,” he replied in good nature, arms crossed, almost like without a single worry, but his mind flooded with relief. They hadn’t managed to destroy her completely. The moment she spoke, Ghazan felt like nothing changed at all.

“I’m flattered. You busted me out before that girlfriend of yours,” she contined, and Ghazan was immediately brought back to reality. They still had one member missing and a goal clearly set to get her, and as always that required a certain dissociation from personal issues for the sake of bigger picture. Maybe Ming-Hua was, just like the rest of them in the end, holding on because it wasn’t time for letting the truth show yet.

One more thing stung him deeply about the way she addressed P’Li, a painful warning to never let intense emotions take charge, and all things considered, Ming-Hua would be the first one trying to sweep them under the rug and move on.

 

\---

 

Ghazan was using all his leftover earth to create them a cover - really a disadvantage in South Pole, with any amount of his element hidden kilometres deep in eternal ice crust. Ideally, Ming-Hua would have the entirety of White Lotus taken care of already, but she had her hands - metaphorical, obviously… he still allowed himself an amused smile - full with other matters.

“I can’t hold them much longer,” Ghazan muttered, bowing down as a block of ice flying his way almost crushed his head. “Hurry, Ming-Hua.”

“Do me a favor, Ghazan, and shut your mouth. You’re not helping,” she grumbled through clenched teeth. P’Li was still unconscious, after taking a hit right into the center of her focus point, Ming-Hua’s water tendril resting on her forehead, soft blue glow tinting her face a sickly shade. It faded at once as P’Li sat up abruptly, like waking from a nightmare.

“There, there. Don’t strain yourself just yet,” Ming-Hua caught her arm, stopping her from standing up.

“What happened?” P’Li looked around, quickly aware of the missing piece. “Where is Zaheer?”

“They got him. I don’t know how, but they were well informed about our plan. We have to retreat, the sooned the better,” Ming-Hua filled her in.

“And leave him there to withstand it all?” a burst of fire severed Ming-Hua’s hold on her. As she got up into her full height, her movements still shaken, Ghazan seized the appropriate time to step in. He hated to do it, but someone should be a voice of reason here.

“P’Li. We’re seriously outnumbered. Going in now would be a suicide, or we would at least wish for a such a quick way to go.”

She wasn’t saying anything, her stony expression didn’t disclose much, either, but her loud inhales, so different from her usual excellent control of breath, and livid eyes didn’t need words anyway. P’Li rarely got angry, but those moments had an unfortunate tendency to be accompanied with recklessness and mass destruction.

In a split second, she took several quick steps from their hiding spot and sent several shots at their pursuers. Sounds of human screams didn’t make it past massive explosions, but smell of burnt flesh in the air presented an unmistakeable proof of her accuracy.

Such rapid fire after getting badly stunned couldn’t go smoothly, though. Ghazan saw it coming before she had a chance to warn them. One groan of pain, she lost her balance and he caught her falling form just in time. Ming-Hua was at his side immediately.

“What part of don’t strain yourself didn’t go through that thick skull of yours?!” Ming-Hua snarled, but her healing tendril made contact with sizzling hot mark on her forehead again.

Even with her vision cross-eyed, P’Li still managed to glare. “You don’t understand,” the look in her eyes softened, letting her fear show, as she explained further. “When we got close, I heard a small sample of what they have prepared. Interrogation and specialized prisons for each one of us. Zaheer might be on the other side of the world tomorrow, subjected to torture. I’m going back.”

“Your hearing must be on par with your sight, then,” Ghazan chuckled in weak attempt to somehow ease the weight like thick honey in the air, threatening to suffocate them.

“And get yourself busted along with your boyfriend?” Ming-Hua sneered. “How romantic. Really thought you had more common sense than that.”

“Shut up, Ming-Hua! We all get it that you couldn’t care less if you tried, but surprise, not everyone has a gaping hole where the heart should be!” the healing bit of Ming-Hua’s water arm turned into a sharp end and her face twisted into a furious grimace. Her intimidation technique, but in a situation like this, Ghazan didn’t risk neither of them losing their temper, and stood between them, his rock-hard arms pushing them away from each other.

“Now let’s all calm the fuck down, alright?” his voice, despite its mild tone, carried a hint of threat.

“Bickering like little brats at a time like this! What are you trying to do, kill each other before White Lotus gets the chance?”

That seemed to do the job to snap them both out of it.

“If we’re going to be reckless, we might as well spare ourselves few injuries and give up on spot,” his eyes went to P’Li. “Our strategist might be gone, but without a plan, we’re a toast. Now, before they come swarming back, let’s think of something.”

P’Li was still glaring, but after a moment, gave one stern nod. Ming-Hua avoided everyone’s sight. This far outdid any worst case scenario they thought they were ready for. It messed their thinking up, they were frustrated, and damn, scared shitless, why avoid the truth? He still wished P’Li had held her toungue in cheek instead of such a low blow. Ming-Hua wasn’t one for sweet words or affection, but she would die for every single one of them. As if P’Li didn’t know that firsthand...

 

\---

 

The last thing Ghazan wanted was finishing the rest of the memory - how each one of them contributed their piece to the ultimate failure, but how it all came crashing down after the most calm and reserved member of their team absolutely lost her cool and fell into their trap. And two of them remaining knew what was coming, but threw themselves into it nevertheless, Ming-Hua with added effect of some sick stubborn effort to prove her friend’s words wrong. Exact record of their pain and suffering was written into each new scar and gray hair, deeper wounds a barely visible subtext among it all.

“We’re getting her next,” Zaheer smiled, his true feelings hidden behind steel determination. Ghazan barely knew of anyone more disgustingly in love than those two. Years and years ago, he actually thought his ears would swell from all that pining he got to hear from both of them. In the end, he wanted to scream at those oblivious idiots to just kiss already, but what happened later was actually even worse. Ghazan happened to get in dire need of earplugs and eye bleaching more often than was acceptable for any human being.

And then she came along. His insides turned to mush that could, if Ghazan didn’t know better, even rival those two, though he had managed to keep up the facade of laidback player for a long time. Partially for her sake as well. She kept him at certain distance, never letting them start to cross the boundaries of more than friendship. Ghazan knew, despite that, he would never come closer to a perfect fit than her. They belonged together like pieces of puzzle.

Memories felt soothing, yet distant, as if he stole them from another person, someone not damaged beyond repair. A peek into a life like it could have been, instead of a nightmare it had warped into, death the only means left to wake up from it.

“Can you zone out the smell as well as everything else?” Ming-Hua asked, her face sour, as they were getting further away from the volcano. In daylight, her condition struck him even with more evidence. His fists were clenching at the sight again, but no matter how many necks he’d snap, how many he’d make pay, years of suffering wouldn’t suddenly disappear.

In his cell, Ghazan used to think the moment he got to see her again, he wouldn’t care about anything else and just wrap her in his arms, so they couldn’t be separated again. He promised himself so much, determined to make up for lost time, convince her she could stop fighting, stop resisting the potential hurt, because he would die before seeing her in pain again. Reality, though, had a nasty way to ruin plans. She had been moving as far away from them as possible, and Ghazan knew the smell presented only a part of the reason why.

They needed time, so much time to let go of at least the worst of it. He used to be always with feet on the ground, now his own though process reminded him of Zaheer’s favorite poems, riddled with melancholy. What a downgrade.

“Fine, you two might pretend it’s forest flowers in the air, but I can’t go like this any longer,” she announced after a while when they reached a stream. Ghazan understood the unspoken request in her eyes clearly, but wanted to try and do her a favor.

“I could warm it up for you,” he offered. One push of his arms and the bottom lit up. Ming-Hua took a swift step back, her eyes shifting away from the sight. As soon as he noticed, he wanted to smack himself for not realizing it sooner.

They were both traumatized by each other’s element, how cruel of an irony was that?

“I had enough of heat for a lifetime,” she muttered and Ghazan didn’t hesitate any longer before stepping off and leaving her some needed privacy.

He took his time in slow walks, savoring the freedom to walk as far as he wanted to, feeling of earth all around him. It provided a great source of comfort, stopped his thoughts from dropping to dangerous lows, but it took effort. Ghazan wished to find some of his old power to just push everything away and ground himself in practical, simple thinking. After all, Red Lotus was on a mission again. Emotions, as that one fatal time taught them, had to wait.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This might be an indirect continuation of either Day 01 or Day 02, you choose. Either way, ladies are going to get their closure, be sure. I should also write some P'heer, finally.


	4. Day 04 - Fantasy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Could be Tethers as well. First I was pissed because I couldn't get to writing all day, but then an idea sprung to mind when I, just out of the blue, started drawing. Here you have it.

**_Day 04 - Fantasy: Zaheer and P’Li_ **

 

Visits to Spirit World became his everyday routine. Nowhere he had ever been while he was still free and travelling across the entire world, colours shined with such saturation and brightness. Zaheer remembered how his first visit ever actually made his eyes hurt, but he withstood it to take in as much of that wonder as possible. Now, despite the evergoing change and movement he once had wished so desperately to bring where it was needed the most, it all gained a gray shade in his eyes.

Someone could call his state sadness, or despair, but for Zaheer, playing with words was pointless. It neither exceeded nor disappointed any expectations poetry by Guru Laghima established. Words like “empty”, “void” and “nothing” hardly needed any replacement. All that awaited was the inevatible, as soon or late it might come for him, the last remain of revolution.

Still, deep inside him, clinging stubbornly to what remained of his heart like chains that bounded him to the floor of his cell. Memories, feelings, questions if it was worth it, any of it… three lives so pointlessly wasted, their entire organization in jeopardy, his life no more significant, in the end. Nothing pressed on him with such an unbearable weight like each moment he recalled her, though.

His existence became a constant war with himself - part wanted to let go, forget her face, name, just like the world did after her demise, since now it brough nothing but pain, regret, and most of all, guilt beyond anything he ever experienced. She followed him not to a world where she, along with so many others, woudn’t be shamed for being herself, or abused by power-hungry tyrants, but to her own gruesome death. Couldn’t he learn already, from previous time, that the moment they got separated, the failure didn’t hesitate to catch up? He knew how competent she was, but leave her there outnumbered… he should have known better.

Did she hate him in her last moments? Did she also have regrets? What kind of life would they have if they succeeded? Questions came and went, and it was easier to just become the wind to sweep them away.

The sight that stood out, contrasting with the sea of bright pastel shades around, and almost made him rub his eyes in childlike manner was familiar attire - black, maroon and mulberry of finest materials she took such delight in wearing, especially after years in rags, adorned by shine of gold here and there. She might have a little tendency for vanity, her careful sight just as accurate and unforgivning of any target as well as a flaw in her own appearance, but who was he to object after she lived through so much in just one lifetime? They loved and accepted each other wholly, including imperfections (though he wouldn’t count many on her, biased or not).

The illusion didn’t vanish. No, she turned around to face him, and for a moment, Zaheer felt like on top of Laghima’s peak again. She hadn’t changed one bit. His eyes took in every detail that was starting to go blurry in his memory.

She greeted him without a word, just softness in her sharp rusty brown eyes, a hint of smile on her lips and her arms encircling him tightly as he stepped closer.

Their embrace seemed to go on forever and yet when they parted, it still felt too short for Zaheer. “I missed you, Zaheer,” she confessed, voice charged with emotion reserved just for times when they were alone like this.

“I missed you as well,” smile felt foreign on his face after such a long time.

“I’ve never seen Spirit World before. Guess your wish to show me all of it will come true after all,” she kept glancing around as they walked hand in hand among the scenery. Zaheer felt like everything was brand new, his eyes taking in the incredible beauty eagerly again. Still, nothing compared to the woman by his side.

It seemed that like many times before, words were barely necessary when all they needed was right there. If Zaheer should feel there was something weird about it, he couldn’t care to pay any attention to it.

“Let’s rest here for a while,” Zaheer pointed to a clear green field, with just several giant plants in sight, no Spirit - as much as he respected and occasionally enjoyed their presence - wandering in close vinicity. Sky looked surreal, evergoing blend of soft rosy and light purple.

“Does it even matter?” she chuckled. “I have yet to see a place here that isn’t absolutely breathtaking.”

He doubted he could love her more than in these rare moments when she forgot to be on her guard all the time and just savored the moment of peace. Granted, they could be counted on fingers of his one hand, but he hoped one day, the world they would grow from the ruins of old would let her have much more. This strange in between of living and death, both and neither of it at the same time, seemed to be the only way left to reach it.

They sat down, wrapped in each other tightly, his head resting in the crook of her neck, breathing her faint scent he couldn’t quite specify, but included a tint of ashes and Fire Nation spices.

“Forgive me,” he whispered after a while, not daring to meet her eyes.

“For what?” genuine surprise in her voice made it all the more painful.

“I failed us all. I failed Ming-Hua and Ghazan and our entire cause, but most of all, I failed you,” weight on his chest didn’t dissipate, even as her fingers lifted up his chin and her gaze met his at last.

“We all knew what was at stake. Regret won’t change what already happened. Let go of it, Zaheer,” her words were hard in a way that didn’t permit any arguments from his side.

“It needed to be told.”

“It’s over. This is how you want to spend our happily ever after?” her lips pulled into a teasing smirk.

“Seems unreal when we take into account it’s us we're talking about,” he chuckled, but didn’t resist as her other hand twined in his hair, bringing him closer for a long awaited kiss. He closed his eyes and held onto her for his dear life, for she was all what was worth living and dying for, she was all that tethered him to his humanity, his passion… all that had been right in his otherwise wasted life.

 

\---

 

Moment of stir and instead of soft, warm grass, cold floor beneath his body. Chains clunk as he sat up, his sight still blurry from the colourful dream.

It wasn’t the first time this happened. Whether the scenario involved Spirit World, Laghima’s peak or any of safe hideouts they had occupied, Zaheer didn’t let himself go blind with joy of reunion, and saw right through the sweet fantasy. Still, even after long hours of getting over the dull ache in his chest, not one time went by when he didn’t grasp at the straws to have her back, to be with her once again, to say how sorry he was, because it was all he got left. Without her, he was to remain that one thing Guru Laghima never sugarcoated, but failed to describe in its full heaviness… nothing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is also inspired by a prompt on otpprompts, I'm sure you know which one I mean. Anyway, I made myself sad. What about you?


	5. Day 05 - Aftermath

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 05 - Aftermath, Zaheer and P'Li, Ming-Hua and Ghazan (more on the implied side), canon alteration
> 
> This is supposed to be Day 07 theme, but whatever. Natural order is disorder and all that jazz, entropy earned me a B last semester in Chemistry, so pretty nice, if you ask me.
> 
> So, remember long time ago, discussion about LOK and cliffs? It's making an appearance at this ultimate denial vent of mine. This is extremely self-indulgent, a therapeutic portion of fluff, if you will. Possibly the last of my contributions to RLRW, even though I wanted to finish it all. Who knows, though.
> 
> Warning for emetophobia, and (now I'm kinda spoilering, but safety first) tocophobia.

Day 05 - Aftermath: P’Li and Zaheer, Ming-Hua and Ghazan

 

She felt the blast building up in the centre of her forehead, familiar heat and pressure as the energy pushed at her skin to break free. In a moment, Beifong would be dead, and P’Li decided to let the power collect few seconds longer. She was no sadist, but derogatory terms on her address, especially third-eyed freak, would always push her past her usual mindset of doing what needed to be done, and instead she’d take certain satisfaction in obliterating them.

Suddenly, a silver flash just on the brink of her peripheral vision, her body reacting on reflex sooner than any coherent thought could form, but it was too late to avoid the blow completely. Her vision twinkled and swam as the metal armor hit her in the head hard, her control over the blast lost. P’Li’s last thought before the pain pushed everything else away she lost consciousness was a vague realization that the ground underneath her feet felt… unstable. Probably because she was falling.

 

\---

 

The moment daylight made it through her eyelids, sending new waves of pain through her head, P’Li groaned and, for a moment, regretted not dying right away. Each part of her body felt like crushed by rocks, movement only stirring each sore to start hurting again. Gathering every bit of determination, she sat up, teeth clenched, to look around, but dizziness quickly turned into a full-blown nausea.

Inside of her mouth now full of bitter aftertaste, P’Li recognized symptoms of a concussion. Nothing she wouldn’t be familiar with, even though nasty sensations in her stomach visited her quite often in last few days. Probably all the tension to bring their objective to a succesful end. She only wished to get this all over with and go into hiding before chaos would break out. After some time, people would find out figures in power were unnecessary and start demanding their right to freedom. And they all could have time to heal and make up for wasted years.

As she leaned on her left hand to lift herself up, a shot of intense pain burst in her forearm. Compared to the other one, it looked swollen and stuck in unnatural position. Compromising, P’Li tried again, as slowly and carefully as possible, and observed reactions of her body to check for more injuries. Contusions everywhere, but fortunately, no more broken bones. Dust seeped inside her clothes, making her harder to spot amid grey rocks. Numerous scrapes and cuts, now covered with a layer of dried blood, peeked through tears in the fabric, stinging with inflammation. Other than that, she was lucky to be alive, if her estimation that her fall was caused by own misdirected explosion blowing off a part of the cliff was correct.

How much time could have passed? Sun was relatively low, though heavy, lead-coloured clouds were hiding most of it from her sight. No sounds of fight, or anything at all. Wait and keep her position to make potential search for her easier, or go catch up with the rest of Red Lotus?

P’Li could risk being outnumbered if the Avatar’s company came looking for her sooner. However, instense throbbing in her head didn’t belong to those she could dismiss and just wait out. She could pass out or injure herself further. On the other hand, the cave where they were supposed to end the Avatar wasn’t that far.

P’Li hissed in pain as she made the first hesitant step, but decided to keep going. If she couldn’t handle it anymore, the place provided enough spots to hide from sight and rest.

 

\---

 

Making her way through ruins of the cave, thirst and hunger burning her insides, P’Li was getting more and more impatient for explanation. What happened? Where was the Avatar? Why didn’t she meet anyone yet?

Then, a low murmur. Barely audible, but she recognized Ghazan’s voice. Finally.

“Where are you?” her throat felt raw and she immediately started coughing violently.

Ghazan appeared a moment later as if he rose from underground, shock written all over his face. That would be a first. P’Li couldn’t remember ever seeing him fazed by anything.

“You’re alive,” he uttered.

“Don’t you say,” her wry retort should be enough of a warning for him not to play words right now. He appeared mostly uninjured, but with scorched sleeves and hems of his clothes, face smudged, and hair tangled.

“Zaheer told us you he saw you die. He went all berserk, except he wasn’t really… angry, kinda just. I don’t know. Like he didn’t care anymore.”

“It will take more than that to fill me in,” she couldn’t keep the irritation from her tone.

“Hah, same for you,” he couldn’t tear his gaze away. “You were supposed to blow yourself up.”

P’Li made a distasteful grimace, then winced in pain, reminded of all her wounds. “Do you take me for such an amateur?”

“I wouldn’t, no! It’s just… ahh, better follow me, I can’t leave Ming-Hua alone for too long.”

Curiosity growing, P’Li followed him down into what looked like inside of a huge bubble of solidified lava, connected directly to underground spring. Ming-Hua was lying nearby, the sight of her unmoving and powerless alien to P’Li’s eyes. Something definitely wasn’t right.

Ghazan took a cloth soaked in water, scrounged it and laid it over her forehead. She mumbled like in fever, but didn’t open her eyes.

“You first,” she frowned. She had an inkling this would take long.

 

\---

 

“So, let me repeat,” Ghazan lifted his index finger and interrupted her. “You got hit into the head so hard you passed out, accidentally blasted off a chunk of cliff and fell?”

“That about sums it up,” she shrugged, but her mind already wandered elsewhere.

Zaheer, according to Ghazan’s words, didn’t even go to check what happened to her, just took her disappearance as a sign she was dead, and unlocked the secret of weightlessness, rumored to be only a child story from Guru Laghima’s poetry. P’Li resisted the hurt spreading in her chest, but it took great effort.

Was she the only thing holding him down? Did Ghazan and Ming-Hua mean so little to him while she genuinely believed all of them to be a family? Did she matter just as long as he wasn’t presented with the first opportunity to let her go? Was he so eager to get rid of the last thing tethering him to earth he completely dismissed any common sense to go and help her?

P’Li knew diving into despair and pain now, of all times, was the worst thing she could do. Not only to herself, but all three of them. They now depended on each other to make it.

For Ghazan, this hardly counted as the first time he attempted to disregard his own life, but once the ground shattered beneath his feet, he rolled down to unconscious, but still breathing Ming-Hua. He would never allow himself to carry responsibility for murdering her, not after all the impossible she had been through to keep living. Not after even damage from her prison didn’t break her spirit. She clung to life with certain desperation, as if constantly proving the world she was more than a freak of nature, strong enough to bear anything and not break. Even the latest strike, severe electrocution, wasn’t enough.

P’Li took turns with Ghazan in joined effort to pull Ming-Hua back from the brink of death. Ghazan took care of feeding, talking to her softly when she slipped into delirious nightmares, and lowering her temperature. To ensure Ming-Hua a bit of privacy and take care of washing her, as well as avoid the danger of hypothermia was, on the other hand, mostly her job, though Ghazan’s lava did just as well. He already took care of her almost without a break, so P’Li had to remind him to eat and sleep, among other things. Their supplies weren’t endless, so P’Li sent him to steal some food and other necessities. She was just too noticeable for something like that.

Ming-Hua ate just little amounts, but P’Li fed her in small bites and regularly. Sometimes, it proved to be a difficult task. Not because she would resist, but P’Li’s own reaction to food continued to be… messed up. Few times, just a look made her jump up and sprint away to empty her stomach. Other times, her trademark voracious appetite returned and she literally devoured enough for three. The inconsistency unnerved her, but at least ruled out a possibility to be a result of her concussion. Her head still occasionally hurt and she had a huge bloody lump close to her right temple where the metal had hit her in full force. Minor bruises were healing and water spring made it easier for her to clear her cuts - sometimes difficult to recognize amidst numerous marks scarring her entire body. The biggest issue continued to be her fracture, but P’Li felt mostly alright. At least physically. Worries about her friend’s well-being at least pushed away conflicted feelings about her lover aside.

First morning after Ghazan was gone, P’Li woke up to sound of slow footsteps. Ming-Hua was awake for the first time in days since their untimate failure.

“I’m happy to see you back in business,” P’Li allowed a rare smile to slip on her face as she approached Ming-Hua, who was currently sinking her legs into water to start a healing session.

All progress her appearance made since they came to North Pole to bust her out disappeared, but even with haggard face and dark circles under her eyes, Ming-Hua looked somewhat content.

“Same goes for you. Didn’t go out with a bang, after all,” her voice still held a strain, but her cracked lips pulled into a wry smirk. Blue glow of water only enhanced her sickly look.

P’Li chuckled and sat down next to her - at least tried, but her long legs would be in the water, so instead she stayed a bit behind her.

.“How do you feel?” P’Li resisted the urge to at least pat her friend on the back. Her burns would probably react to touch in worse way than bruises, and P’Li had an idea of how those hurt.

“Right now, kinda happy for you not being a lightningbender, because you might be on a receiving end of my need for payback,” she was grinning, but P’Li recognized the shameful manner in which she avoided her sight all of a sudden.

“Bruised ego speaking?” P’Li tilted her head in teasing fashion. Ming-Hua always hated losing a fight, and during those few occasions it happened, next time she absolutely annihilated her opponent.

“Try losing against a brat almost half your age by result of pure luck,” she grumbled.

“Almost have. No brat involved, but a nasty surprise from behind.”

“I see,” water rose and formed a tip to brush against shaved part of her scalp with bloody bruise.

P’Li smiled again. If Ming-Hua had enough strength to waterbend like this, she had a solid chance to make it.

“Ghazan would be overjoyed to see you.”

“I know, but I don’t want to face him like this.”

P’Li didn’t need another explanation. Ming-Hua’s biggest source of self-consciousness was a thought she would end up vulnerable and dependent on someone else. After all, she had struggled to break free of that image her whole life.

“If it helps,” P’Li gently nudged her side, “I didn’t let him take care of everything. We both were there for you.”

Ming-Hua looked away again, then smirked again. “Don’t even think about getting used to that picture.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it. You’re too much of a showoff for that,” P’Li grinned and left Ming-Hua some space to finish her healing completely, not just legs.

 

\---

 

“Ming-Hua, you’re awake!” happy shout interrupted P’Li’s afternoon nap - what was with the energy swings, too? It was the second day since Ghazan left, but he obviously took extra effort and hurried to reach nearest village three days away on foot.

She sat up to see those two better. Ming-Hua never breached the topic again, but P’Li knew that despite her cold demeanor, Ghazan’s feelings for her, more obvious by each passing day, didn’t go entirely unreciprocated.

“Expected me to never be again?” she raised her eyebrow, her tone sarcastic. There was about two metres of distance between them. Ghazan looked like he wanted to squeeze the life out of her in a bear hug, but didn’t dare to, not yet.

“You’re recovering, I meant,” he rolled his eyes.

“Enough to kick your ass in few days,” her voice took on her typical challenging edge.

“I wouldn’t expect any less,” he winked and Ming-Hua chuckled one time, then turned away. To hide a blush. That was new.

P’Li suddenly felt like an intruder on private moment, and felt a sharp stab in her chest.

Since then, Ming-Hua’s recovery escalated in rapid tempo, even to such degree she treated the wounds of the two of them. Each day, she reminded her old self again, but something shifted. And not only in her.

Ghazan, maybe to make up for the fact he saw her exactly as she despised to be seen - vulnerable - began scouting the area more under the excuse of bringing more resources.

“I swear,” Ming-Hua started, “for as long as I know him, I’ve never seen him with tail between his legs like this. I expected him to start our innuendo routine as I get better, but he’s running away.” The look of scorn on her face was meant to cover something else and P’Li would gladly remind her of the facts.

“He’s giving you space. That’s different.”

“He’s uncomfortable. I know about this so-called crush of his, but after seeing me like this,” blink of an eye and her pained expression was gone, replaced by cold again, “it’s over. I’m not blind.”

“Might as well be,” P’Li couldn’t stop her amused smile if she tried. “I’ve seen the way he looks at you when you’re not paying attention. He means real business, but is afraid of you not being on the same page.”

“Is he, now?” cynical, but only what met the eye.

“Decide on your own, Ming-Hua. But look where all that dilly-dallying got us. You might never get another second chance.”

Silence, then Ming-Hua laughed bitterly, not a hint of joy in the sound.

“Look where it got you,” she smiled sadly.

“What do you mean?”

“Hiding here, all heartbroken and… and miserable,” she spat that word, as if she wasn’t first sure she wanted to use it, but got confident enough to stress it. “The whole thing with Zaheer letting go is eating you alive, ‘Li. I see as much.”

P’Li didn’t respond, but hardly needed to. After a heavy silence, when they heard footsteps approaching, she only added in low voice: “Ghazan let go, too, but returned back because of you. If you think those two are comparable, you’re lying to yourself.”

 

\---

 

Ghazan, along with bringing food, blankets and spare clothes, also came across valuable information. The Avatar somehow survived the poisoning, though she remained in fragile state, the Air Nation would soon move out and Zaheer was put away in temporary jail, but not too heavily protected yet, before they relocate him somewhere else. All his allies were dead and attention shifted to the Avatar’s well-being and the rest of world leaders gathered there. A ceremony of some sort was about to take place, but details remained unclear.

P’Li began to feel idle, and ached for some sort of activity, especially because the air between Ming-Hua and Ghazan grew more and more charged with tension every day. Knowing them, it might take weeks until they finally made the move, but she already felt like a third wheel.

She couldn’t take Ghazan’s place in stealing resources, she attracted too much attention for it, but with approximate date of the ceremony in mind, resolution settled within her. There was something she had a limited chance of doing and then lose the opportunity forever. In a way, repaying a debt, getting closure, and… seeing him again. Despite her best efforts to keep in mind he let go and might not even bother looking back, threw away all what once tied them together, it didn’t mean she would follow his example so easily.

 

\---

 

Stealth, maybe thanks to her height, was never something P’Li excelled at. Her advantage came from keeping a distance from which no one could notice anything suspicious, and attack came seemingly out of nowhere, which made hard to trace the direction.

Guards had no chance to even lift their head to see their death coming or alarm anyone. P’Li almost laughed at the simplicity of it.

As she approached the cell, her face hidden by dark brown cape Ghazan had brought, she couldn’t stop dread taking over her. It was even worse than the first time she meant to confess her feeling to Zaheer, hoping for at least as much as polite, not hurtful rejection, when he surprised by spilling his own first. She could only stare dumbfounded, and then, when he was about to turn around and run, she grabbed his shoulders and planted a sloppy kiss on his mouth. All his reaction consisted of was one telling “oh,” before he returned the favor with his characteristic passion.

These memories seemed like from another lifetime, foreign and painful. P’Li didn’t doubt he once genuinely loved her, but time and imprisonment changed them all in a way. Could she really blame him for putting the cause they dedicated their lives to above her, even though back then, thirteen years ago, their downfall came when she refused to retreat and abandon him, and it cost them the better of their lives?

She didn’t bother with thick door too long. In a split second, it laid in wrecks. The inside of his cell was dark, but she could still recognize his form wrapped tightly in one of restraining suits.

In a moment, she was at his side, grateful for the cape falling over her face. She fumbled with numerous belts, her actions shaken and unsure because of anxiety and still expecting pain to shoot from movements of her left hand, and felt like it took forever, but didn’t want to risk singing him by using firebending.

The moment she was done, his body defied gravity and floated high above her, his expression stony and impassive.

“I don’t know who you are, but I’m not about to be grateful. You made a grave mistake,” he proclaimed, his voice full of unnatural calm as he lifted his arms above his head in whirling motion, the current of air blowing away the cape shadowing her face. For a brief second, the air thinned around her mouth, then the sensation absolutely disappeared. She didn’t need to see his face to know the reason.

A loud thud and a grunt of pain as his form hit the ground in ungraceful manner, barely managing to at least fall on his feet.

Even in dim light around, P’Li felt his intense gaze on her and fought off her own emotions filling her up, threatening to spill out any second.

“Let’s hurry,” she said in clipped voice and rushed out of the cell, hearing his steps right behind her.

As soon as they reached nearest shelter, she crouched down, waiting in silence to spot anyone tracking them.

“P’Li,” Zaheer whispered from behind her, his voice full of something she couldn’t quite specify. Her skin was on fire where he held his palm - just her forearm - and she ached to reunite with him properly, but focused all her attention on every sign of activity from where they had come from.

After minutes went by with nothing happening, she slowly stood up and turned around. His arms wrapped around her waist immediately and he was close, so close she could see the vulnerability in his glistening eyes, full of love and yearning, mirroring her own. The distance between them diminished to nothing as he stole her breath in a searing kiss, and all her thoughts of confronting him first vanished.

She sighed, opened her mouth more for him and her hand on the back of his head, prickly short hair beneath her fingertips, urged him to be closer, deeper. Heat rushed through her as he kept on kissing her more thoroughly, his taste filling her senses, making her dizzy with pleasure of being exactly where she belonged. P’Li only wanted the moment to go on forever, so nothing could ever separate them again.

They parted unwillingly after the need of air became too much, both breathing heavily. P’Li craved nothing more than give in again, forget all that might have been, and just drown in his love, but cold logic slowly returned.

“I believed you were dead,” Zaheer confessed, his voice almost trembling.

“I’ve heard,” she gathered all bits of her will and detached herself from his arms, missing the warmth instantly.

“You didn’t even bother to check on me, did you? It was nice knowing you, P’Li, but now I kind of don’t need you anymore, right?” maintaining her accusatory glare was harder than she expected, but once she started, all the hurt of past days began resurfacing, strengthening her resolve.

“It was different,” his eyes fell, but he reached for her hand. “Let me explain.”

“We’re still not in safety, so save it,” she pulled her hand from his hold and headed out for their wrecked cave.

Looking at him, nothing would be more welcome or easier to just let it be. But the magnitude of her own love and devotion to him caused her to be in so much pain because of this. And unlike him, P’Li didn’t intend to just let go of it like it never meant a thing in the first place.

 

\---

 

“Where have you-” Ghazan was about to get angry, but then spotted the figure behind her. “Oh. I should have melted my mouth shut,” as usually, Ghazan seemed unfazed, if nothing else, a bit disapproving.

“Possibly,” P’Li answered non-committally.

“It’s nice to see you so appreciative of my presence,” Zaheer rarely got sarcastic, so it lacked any edge. Ghazan didn’t listen anyway and caught up to her footsteps instead.

“We need to talk for a while, if sweet reunion can wait,” he growled and grabbed her left forearm - the one Ming-Hua had healed recently and still could get sensitive to rough moves.

She yelped in pain. “Watch it!” she stared him down.

“Ah, sorry. I forgot,” he lifted his arms in defensive gesture. “My point still stands, though.”

Her glance flew briefly to Zaheer. He seemed unreadable, again, save for almost invisible pout of his lips.

She still felt remnants of passion flowing through her veins. No guarantee it could leave to last bits - Zaheer was her love, after all - but P’Li wanted to get her point across with cool head, nothing clouding her judgement.

“Better make it quick, Ghazan,” she murmured and followed him out of earshot.

Ghazan fidgeted and played with ends of his hair, which was never a good sign.

“Look, I know why you did what you did. Deep down, I kind of expected it, as long as it doesn’t put us all in danger again. But even when Ming-Hua recovers, I don’t think this is going to work.”

“What do you mean?”

“You weren’t there, so it’s hard to explain. But… I’m not sure we could have handled the Avatar even with you. It’s the second time we failed in every possible way and I can’t risk anymore - going back, or losing Ming-Hua would be the death of me,” his eyes widened and shimmered with strange desperation.

“We’re all together again, sure, but I’m tired of trying to make the world listen. I can have my first and last shot at happiness instead.”

Something must have triggered this change in his perspective much sooner, but P’Li suspected the real reason behind his final decision.

“Freedom is all about having an unlimited choice, isn’t it?” she offered a small smile, but her heart felt heavy in her chest.

“So you want to… what, exactly? Run away and hide?”

“Haven’t thought about it that far, to be honest. But maybe. It sucks compared to what we once dreamed of, but that’s how things are.”

“Dreams change as people do, Ghazan,” sadness slipped into her voice more than she intended.

To her surprise, he answered with a wide grin. “Aw, save the long face for later, ‘Li. You never know what kind of joy is just around the corner,” he winked, serving to only further her confusion. Did he know something she happened to miss?

 

\---

 

P’Li should have expected such an outcome. While she was gone, something changed, and for the first time since the prison, she saw Ghazan happy. Completely over his occasional strikes of depression, she couldn’t tell, but the best he had looked in a long time nevertheless.

Her exhaustion which had became a regular occurence lately, coudln’t pick a worse timing. Some things, though, couldn’t be left unsaid.

Now alone again with Zaheer, P’Li was reminded one more time of their youth, first awkward attempts at dating, before they realized they knew each other too well to try for any kind of best impression. They witnessed one another’s high and low points and fell in love anyway. What more to ask for?

Zaheer must have noted her reaction when Ghazan tried to drag her to privacy before, because he was looking intently at her left hand, as if asking for a permission. Despite her better judgement, she let him take it gently.

“Broken, mostly healed by now,” she informed. His thumb caressed her skin gently and Zaheer brought her fingers to his lips, kissing softly.

“This is going to be a long talk, isn’t it?” now he just looked sad, if not disappointed. P’Li felt terrible, but clarity was more important.

“Yes, it is.”

“Fine. I’m listening, P’Li. Whatever is hurting you, I will take my part of responsibility,” if those words weren’t spoken with absolute sincerity, she would have suspected him of mocking her. But such things, even during their occasional fights, were always beneath him.

Steeling her resolve, she breathed in, as if focusing another one of her blasts.

“You… assumed I was dead. I could be. I could be also injured, in need of immediate help, or taken. But that didn’t... matter to you,” picking correct words seemed like a difficult task right now, but she couldn’t risk any misundertanding anymore. He needed to recognize the full aftermath of his actions.

“And that got me thinking… if such a feeble excuse was enough for you, why did you hesitate so long? Were you just waiting for your chance? How invested are you really in… this? ” she gestured between them, doubts like stinging needles filling her mind.

They got separated so young. Their time together felt like eternity back then, but were they really meant to last? What if thirteen years only served to postpone the realization that they weren’t?

“You know, in a way, I wonder it myself, among other things,” Zaheer started, unusual melancholy in his tone. “I was so focused on our plan, to make everything run smoothly, I ignored the nagging idea to take greater care. Why did I let you handle it on your own? I should have learned from previous mistakes. Once we’re apart, things go downhill.”

He never was one to break down or express his emotions easily. Often, his unconscious actions spoke louder than words, despite his charismatic way with them. Still, what continued, despite his calm, steady voice sounded like it wasn’t easy for him to talk about.

“In that moment, the guilt of my miscalculation fell on me and I couldn’t even dare to confirm my suspicions for the worst. But I could still fulfill at least one promise I gave you and not fail you completely.

I thought…” he paused, struggling with words, just like she did before, “I thought I had a clear cut idea of entering the void. In a way, I’ve never experienced greater freedom. All that crushing guilt, pain and regrets gone with the wind… but so did every memory of your laughter, all the moments we shared, every reason we fought for. I became a hollow shell of a human being.”

“Then why did you fall the moment you saw me?” if he let go, how come the state didn’t last?

“Because you’re worth to me more than anything else. I would give up everything for you, but could never be able to give up  _ on _ you.”

His intense gaze made blood rise to her cheeks.

“During my short time of imprisonment, I kept myself detached of it, because I couldn’t bear it. Is it a act of cowardice? I suppose you could call it such. But deep down, my wish to change things never truly subsided. To be actually given the chance is a fortune beyond what I’m worthy of, but if you let me,” their glances met again and for a moment, all he held deep down came close to the surface again, “I will spend the rest of our time together making it up to you, as well as all the pain you should have never gone through. After all, I never wanted anything else, since the moment our paths crossed.”

P’Li wasn’t sure who moved in first, but when their bodies locked in tight embrace again, last bits of her doubts were slowly disappearing. Their foreheads pressed together and they just savored the moment, not rushing anywhere. P’Li, briefly remembering Ghazan’s words, decided they deserved their chance at happiness, too. They waited more than long enough for it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I made a ton of implications and made no use of them in the end, so there's a chance I might contribute something sickeningly sweet for Family theme. Want some? After all, I have seen a lot about young!P'heer, but nothing about them growing old together. And I think I kind of need it.


End file.
